Beginning of the Year Read Alouds

Are there any other exhausted teachers out there?  I think I have the best job in the world, I am so lucky to spend my days with 27 amazing second graders and to have the opportunity to teach them. 

Who doesn't love a job where you get things like this?

One of my favorite parts of the day is Read Aloud!  I absolutely LOVE to read to my kids.  It's a time where I don't have to worry about using proximity so that a student will stop fiddling with a pencil during a lesson.  I don't have to tell the whole class that I love how "suzzie" has nothing in her hands,is folding her arms, and looking at me (so that the rest of the class will comply).  I don't have to give out tickets or warm fuzzies (even thought those are good things and it is a pleasure to give them to the students who are being good).  I don't have to give warnings or take away tickets.  I get to read and my kids sit quietly, listen, smile and laugh.  Read Aloud is always something to look forward to right at the end of the day before we go home : )  

The first book I read to my class this year was The Hundred Dresses.  It is a short book and we read it in just under a week.  I didn't read it last year, but I love the message in it and decided that it would be good for the beginning of the year this year.  The book gave us the opportunity to talk about the importance of being kind to everybody and also what we should do if we see bullying.  I think that most of my kids enjoyed the book.  One of my boys even said "Yeah, that was a really good book."

Since our first book was a little more on the serious side I decided that we needed a fun book for our next read aloud book.  I decided on The Twits by Roald Dahl.  I read this book last year and my kids loved it!  I love this book because there is great voice.  The book really allows yo to model for the kids how to read with expression.  You know you have chosen a good book when the you tell the class that we will be stopping or today and they all say "awwww".  To those classes next to me who may have heard me yelling or speaking very loudly, I apologize. We were just having a grand old time reading and listening to The Twits!  

Some of my other favorite read alouds include: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Summer of the Monkeys, and Boxcar Children Books

I am also excited to read Flat Stanley with my class this year and to do the project that goes with it. 

What are some of your favorite read aloud books?